Some of the posts in this thread are indicative of this, IMO, as standard practice AFAIK is paper first, then soap and water. Dry with small towel used only for this purpose. Provided that people use their own towel and frequenty change it for a clean one, I don’t see how pathogens should be of any particular concern. The bottom line (heh) is fewer of the same kind of germs.
Depending on what’s in your bathroom, you can sit on the edge of the tub and use a hand-held shower nozzle to clean yourself this way.
One more thing, in case some find it useful: Men probably have more to gain than women from soap/water cleansing because we’ve got hair down there and women don’t. I was told this by a girlfriend and had to take her word for it about men being hairy but then realized that all of my girlfriends were hairless. Feel free to say I’m wrong but no photos, please.
You just need the deluxe Scrubutt ViewMaster model with wand-tip mounted endoscope (camera and 32”screen are optional).
You just need a toothbrush, gel soap, a TidyBowl Man type boat and a trained pygmy marmoset. Move the marmoset into his little houseboat on the Porceline Sea of Tranquility with the tools of his trade (brush, soap, water-wand and mini-towel). Like me, you may have to flush a couple of biters :mad: before you find a keeper. And there are options to warm that sensitive spot back to body temperature after the cold spray, if you so choose.
OK, I didn’t read through all three pages of post about this subject. Sorry if I’m repeating anything already said. But I just installed one yesterday and used it for the first time this morning. Fantastic.
1st. It’s very sanitary. Europe has been using them for years. If you’re American and think not, step off that imaginary pedestal and start to think a little. My wife was born in Europe but was raised in America. She did not think twice about getting one of these. It’s very natural.
2nd. It’s green. You know, better for the environment.
3rd. It’s refreshing and healthier.
4th. Its a snap to install.
See this video:
I was weary of the cold water, so I bought the hot and cold unit. So far I only installed the cold side. Many people said the hot is not necessary. That the cold water spray, even on a cold morning is not a shock and is not uncomfortable. I have to agree and most likely will not install the hot water side.
The only thing I question is the reduced use of TP. So far I’ve still had to use about the same amount to totally clean the area. But using the bidet does in fact give you completely clean and refreshed rear end. And no mess what so ever. Over time I suspect I can reduce the TP usage.
What a coincidence running across this thread. I’ve been considering getting a bidet/ washlet whatever you call them. I’ve never actually used one, but I can appreciate the fact that they are superior to just TP. I also understand the cold water not being a big deal on the nether regions. Even in ice cold Michigan, I’m sure it will be fine with the cold water setting.
I’m not sold on the attached, hand-held, hose type. It doesn’t seem as sanitary.
I think the spray nozzle, inside the bowl type is better. I was browsing Amazon and most of them seemed to have high ratings from users, so I’m a bit overwhelmed on which one to pick. Any suggestions?
I don’t want to spend too much. $75 or less. My biggest concern is I have a 4 year old in the house that can’t resist buttons, switches, nozzles and playing in water. Any suggestions on which one to buy and ways I can install it to hide the controller part from my kid?
Do some bidets/ washerlets have a snap on lid or a way to cover the controllers to make it kid proof?
Yes, I know I can set some rules with my son to “don’t touch the toilet buttons or else!”, but realistically it won’t work like that.
I think you mean wary of the cold water? And thanks for adding your experience. It really does seem like the cold water is only a big deal in anticipation, not in practice.
I suspect you certainly will be able to reduce TP usage by a great deal. IME, I have to use at least four times as much TP if I have to use only TP. And even then I feel less clean.
Thanks bldysabba! I like how the on/off mechanism works on that model you linked to. Pull up for ON and push back down for OFF. I don’t think my little son will realize you need to pull it up to make it work. (fingers crossed)
I’m just assuming with the hand held sprayer, other users in the house might touch the nozzle to their junk while cleaning. Not on purpose, but ya know, there may be a learning curve to cleaning of uglies with a spray nozzle. I’d rather have a sprayer you don’t need to touch.
Dispute the number of enthusiastic reviews on Amazon, and posts here, some maintain that water alone won’t clean, that cold water would be a shock to the system, and that you’ll get so wet that you’ll use more TP than before.
Surely all those reviewers can’t be in the pocket of Big Bidet.
It was interesting to me to come across this thread. I have a list in my head of questions or topics I’ve thought about bringing up on the Dope (I just never get around to most of them, or I forget the ideas).
One of the items high on the list was “Why don’t Americans use toilet-bidets like the Japanese do? Are we just not that hygiene-conscious?” And now, lo and behold, someone has started (more or less) the same thread. Ever since I first traveled to Japan and experienced these toilets I’ve wanted to buy one, but the expense has kept that from happening.
After reading some of the posts here I’m of the opinion that you have to try one of these things to appreciate it. I find it hard to believe that very many people would not prefer these devices to using TP. Folks can bring up all of their random justifications about why they wouldn’t like using a toilet-bidet, but I believe that 95% of these doubters would completely change their minds if they had the chance to use one.
They are that nice. It just feels a lot cleaner and better.
You guys can’t be serious. If I spray off my driveway with my hose, it’s not cleaner than if I just swept it? How about wetting and then wiping? I know feces has some moisture, but you really think a rinse with water before the wipe won’t get you cleaner?
That doesn’t sound like a justified perception. It’s just…it’s really not hard to hold a nozzle some distance away from your butt without it having come in contact with you. It’s a very basic act of coordination. The nozzle protrudes out maybe an inch maximum from your hand? You have to hold it maybe five or six, perhaps more, inches away? Human proprioception is more than fine grained enough for that. I think you’d actually have to put in extra effort to get it to touch the dirty bits.
Further, even assuming that it does happen, the parts that could potentially come in contact and get dirty, i.e the tip of the nozzle, is not the same that your hands touch. Your hand is wrapped around the handle. That can’t conceivably come in contact with poop unless someone who regularly uses your bathroom is actively trying to rub poop on it. In which case I’d say you have bigger problems
As of this moment, the going conversion rate is 100%. And apparently these systems aren’t particularly expensive anymore. I’ve really come to think the barrier is simply trial. The opportunity to experience it just never comes up, and if it does, some people are simply intimidated by not knowing how to use it.
As someone who owns the 180, I would recommend a different one… I’ve managed to turn the spray on more times than you can imagine by mistake… I’ve sprayed my clothes, sprayed the room, and one time left it spraying for hours without noticing… luckily, I had set it to “clean” all the time, just in case that happened… so it was spraying into the toilet for hours… Otherwise I would have flooded my bathroom! (It was early morning… I hadn’t had coffee yet!)
It’s WAY too easy to turn the water on and off… I figure your son will have it figured out in about 5 minutes…
We have the 110 on another toilet in the house, and I prefer that one - cheaper wins out… and I’ve never made the mistake of spraying it by mistake…
no, I don’t consider rinsing with water an act that improves cleanliness as it pertains to feces. I would never wash my hands with just water or take a shower with just water. If I’m having a crappy day then I wet the toilet paper and put soap on it.
It’s not a “rinse” like a soft summer rain- it’s a concentrated blast like water pic. Even at its lowest setting it’s not something one would do for the fun of it. And the clean paper that comes back from drying speaks of its effectiveness.
To those who think it doesn’t help clean. To put it very grossly, think of this way. Would you be willing to have sex with your partner if just after having a crap he/she only used TP. Especially if a bidet was available?
I guess it comes down to actually sitting my rear down and using one. I think I’d rather try the in bowl one anyway. Just concerned with the kid thinking it’s a new spray toy or something.
Daffyd, thanks for letting me know. I went on the Luxe website to compare. The 120 has the self cleaning nozzle feature which I like with the rest of the features as the 110.
I wonder about the dual nozzle thing with the added front cleaning for women. Does the single nozzle work well enough to reach women’s bits or should I consider an upgrade to the 320?
(Finding the humor in this thread. Never thought i’d be discussing the ins and outs of cleaning butholes and vulvas with people across the world. :p)
I’d rather have a sprayer you don’t need to touch.
